2017 Q7 Improvement Suggestions
 

1. Enable some way for the DVD player in the front of the vehicle to communicate with the RSE system.

2. Create single button way to go back and forth between MMI and Carplay. I shouldn't have to hit Menu, then Carplay. Suggestion -- Long Click on the Back Button.

3. Adaptive Cruise Control - When I choose "With Tolerance" if the speed limit changes, it should adapt to whatever tolerance I set it at. For example, if I have Cruise set at 65 mph in 55mph zone, if go into 45 mph zone speed should reduce to 55 mph not 45 mph.

4. Tire pressure monitors that show the actual tire pressures.

5. Way to turn the camera on when traveling under a certain speed for parking. This should be an option. However, it would be nice to be able to pull forward into a spot and have the camera automatically turn on all with the rest of the park assistance.

6. Enable the automated parking with a software update. I am sure that the vehicles have what is necessary to enable this, don't just put it on the next model to sell cars next year.

7. There should be some link on the Navigation screen to import an address through Audi Connect (this is the logical place one would look for such a thing).

8. Lengthen the time I can take my hands off the wheel when using the DAP. Even when I have my hand on the wheel it sometimes prompts me to actually move it.

9. Remote close the trunk (this may not be legal in the U.S.). LONG PRESS APPARENTLY CLOSES THE TRUNK

Feel free to add other things you have noticed.

None of the above is an indictment of the car. I love it. But things can always be improved.

let me see if I'm understanding this correctly... the adaptive cruise on the 4M Q7 will also adapt to posted speed limits that it detects too and there's no way to disable that?

I love the functionality of adaptive cruise during long road trips as far as maintaining the speed that I MYSELF SET and just have the system maintain it according to traffic in front, but I do not want it to start obeying posted speed limits too... that would be awful! Please tell me the speed limit sign recognition/adaptation can be disabled.

You can set it so that the Adaptive Cruise Control ignores the speed limits completely. So you can use it the way that you are saying that you want to.

I have it set to "with tolerance". That way, if speed limit changes I am less likely to get a speeding ticket. However, when the speed changes it goes to the actual speed limit. I want it to go to the speed limit plus whatever I had added on previously.

ah, got it! good to know.

what you're saying makes a lot of sense though... sounds like the system needs that kind of added flexibility when it comes to setting tolerance for posted limits.

Basically it makes it so that when the speed limit changes I end up flick the lever up 2-4 times (it jumps in 5 mph increments with large flicks).

I agree with the tire pressure monitor system. They should really employ the same system as what came standard in our RS7; active TPMS with sensors on each wheel valve housing that will relay both pressure and temperature information for each specific corner. I realize that the RS7's TMPS sensors are expensive but there are definitely merits to monitoring temperature as well, and would be appropriate for a premium family hauler like the Q7.

Example: my pressures were perfectly fine at around 5k miles on the odo, but noticed that the front right had consistently higher temperatures by about 15-20 degrees F after I've been on highway speed for a few minutes, as compared to the other 3 corners. I thought this was unusual, so before our next road trip, I brought it to the dealer and sure enough, they discovered that the wheel weights had fallen off on the affected wheel and was imbalanced enough that it was showing higher temps due to wheel vibration that was somehow undetectable from the driver's seat (possibly due to the cushy air suspension). If I had not had the wheel rebalanced, I may have driven it to the point of causing uneven or accelerated wear, or possibly worse.

I second this. Don't think it has anything to do with legality.
All of my Escalades (made in Arlington, Texas) had the ability to close the trunk both from the interior switch as well as the remote key fob.
Only thing I can figure is Audi is afraid of liability if someone got hit on the head. The Escalades had a very distinctive chime that sounded anytime the lid was coming down - one would have to be pretty dense to not notice it.....

I would add the following:

10) Remote start from the app.

11) Automatic locking of the doors after the key fob has left the area.

They definitely could do #11 with a software change.

12) More storage - that center console is almost laughable at how small it is

13) USB and high speed USB in rows 2 & 3.

14) 3rd row air vents

4. Tire pressure monitors that show the actual tire pressures.

Not sure about this vehicle, but some TPMS systems work by measuring wheel speed differences. If so, there would no data to provide actual pressures.

9. Remote close the trunk (this may not be legal in the U.S.)

I assume you've tried a long press on the trunk lid remote button? From Pg. 40 of the Owner's Manual:

Press and hold the (trunk) button on the remote control key until the luggage compartment lid closes (vehicles with convenience key*)

I like all of your suggestions!

Thanks for the tip. I will try

9. Remote close the trunk (this may not be legal in the U.S.)

I assume you've tried a long press on the trunk lid remote button? From Pg. 40 of the Owner's Manual:

Press and hold the (trunk) button on the remote control key until the luggage compartment lid closes (vehicles with convenience key*)

Very interesting ( I haven't gotten my 2017 yet). Definitely a welcome change from my 2013 :cool:

Great thread guys. I heartily agree with the following:
4. Tire pressure monitors that show the actual tire pressures.
12. More storage - that center console is almost laughable at how small it is.


I'd add:
15. When headlights come on, have the option to default to Auto dimming. Now, you have to set it every time the lights come on.
16. If the drive type is set to Dynamic, have the D/S default to S when you restart the car.
17. For NAV map in the Entertainment screen, have the current street name appear at the bottom. This only happens when the map is displayed in the Instrument cluster.

18. Have street name appear on the HUD
19. Fix the HUD glare

How about larger cup holders?? My wife and I have lots of travel mugs/containers, and only about half fit in front. Very annoying that they are smaller than all other cars i'very owned (including several older vw and audio models). And the 2nd row cup holders are a joke - not even a medium Tim Hortons coffee will fit. It's like they designed for baby cups.

If you want to see small cup holders check out the A7, you can barely get a small coffee cup in it and travel mugs, you need a skinny design. I guess that's why Audi sells these, Stainless steel model tumbler for desk use

Not elegant, but there's always something like this:

That adapter is a good idea, although I agree about the "not elegant" part. Sorry, forgot to add a number.

20. Larger cup holders all around.

Also, for #9, long press doesn't seem to close the trunk consistently. I got it to close after several long-presses once, but the next time it didn't work.

Can't agree with you there. Audi's indirect system works very well and makes switching between winter and summer wheels very easy. Nothing to break or batteries to replace. I've had flats on three Audis with this system and in each case the flat was flagged by the system.

Turn down the warning tone for seat belts unmatched, door open etc; it pierces my skull.

Find someone with a vcds and those can be turned off.

Is that the same tool that can set ACC default distance to 2?

I don't know anything about ACC coding but afaik the vcds is the most functional tool when it comes to diagnostics and parameter changes. If they don't have a new Q7 cable available yet it won't be long before they do.
Ross-Tech: Home

There is also the much cheaper Carista tool available: Carista OBD2 - Vehicle Diagnostics and Customization | Your car, your way
I've been using it for my 2012 Q7 and A5. Probably doesn't do quite as much as the RossTech tool, but again, much cheaper. But I know they do not yet have their code updated for the 2017 Q7.

According to page 110/111 of the Owner's Manual, the Audi dealer can enable the MMI menu where you can set the ACC default distance. (My 2012 Q7 has this menu enabled by default.) I'll be telling my dealer that enabling this menu will be required by me as part of their pre-delivery prep.

To turn on the camera and parking sensors there should be a button on the dash - it looks like a capital P with a little icon beside it. Not sure what the speed threshold is, but it should do the job.

Otherwise, it would be difficult for the system to tell the difference between driving at a crawl speed due to traffic vs parking. Unless maybe it was tied into the GPS and knew you were off road, but even then how would it know there's a building or parking area vs just driving slowly off of the main road?

10. Remote start from App or key fob.
Not only should it start the vehicle but depending on the outside temperature (cold): activate the heated seats, rear defroster, and heated steering wheel. In summer: activate ventilated seats.

+1 on this. Should be totally doable and probably the only way they will keep me subscribing to the service. If a GMC can do it....c'mon!

+1 !! Utterly unnerving!

+1 Long standing complaint/request...Germans don't do it!

Since Audi will likely never do it, I will be putting Viper in my new 2017 Q7 as I did with my 2012. I've been very happy with it. If you go with the mobile app controlled version, the subscription cost is way cheaper than Audi Connect (if that's all you want AC for). Or you can go with the 2nd FOB version which has no subscription cost.

Has anyone installed Viper or other brands on their new 2017 Q7 yet?

Well...they kind of do and don't do it...

They don't generally have remote start. However, they do have "parking heaters" and/or "auxiliary heaters". These can be programmed in the car on timers and some have remote capability as well. Instead of starting the car to warm everything up, the heaters kick in to warm the cooling system which warms the block and warms the cabin. They're either electric or they're tapped into the car's fuel system. It's more sophisticated than a mere block heater, but stops short of turning the engine on. Supposed to be more efficient and save cold start and idling wear/tear on the engine.

Either way, they need to bite the bullet and either offer these systems or remote start. Having to go aftermarket sucks.

Yes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmRN_fuILGE#t=34

Still waiting for my Q7 order, but was playing with the Audi Connect app, and saw something in there about auxiliary heater. I did a google search, however, and it doesn't appear the 2017 Q7 has it (even as an option), but some earlier versions did have it as an option. Does anyone know if Audi is planning to have auxiliary heaters in the 2017 Q7?

In my opinion, heating the car electrically is better than remote start anyway, because I'm not going to remote start the car inside my garage.

The tire pressure monitoring system is definitely a must. Can this be upgraded later. Is it just a software upgrade or is there some hardware needed?

The aux heaters are not available in the US and I could be wrong, but I think only in diesels in Europe. And they are not electric; they run a small aux engine using fuel from the gas tank.

I think some diesel models have an electric aux heater meant to provide some warmth after engine start. I doubt they can run without the engine since that kind of electrical demand would kill the battery pretty quickly.

I think your best bet is a remote start and a remote garage door opener. The Liftmaster MyQ system is pretty nice: lets you open/close the garage remotely and monitor it's status. There are a couple good threads on here with details on the Viper SmartStart install.

Annoyingly it seems to be limited to mainland Europe as we can't get the proper Aux heater in the UK either. I had it on my old X5 and miss being able to start via time setting or remote control.

We do get the heated windscreen which is pretty good and uses an electric heater to clear the screen quicker - typically about 90 seconds to clear the ice in the mornings - but does nothing to heat the car :-(

I would like to be able to lock the vehicle when it's idling in the morning to warm it up and be secure.

1) I wish there was some sort of light in the console cup holder(s). Just enough so you knew where you were aiming.
2) A little more in-cabin storage. Glove box and center console - very small.
3) The HUD disappears when I'm wearing Polarized sunglasses. The rotate feature (that I haven't played with yet because the sun hasn't been out in Wisconsin for about 3 weeks) may help.
4) (I have the chassis package/air suspension) A way to set the speed at which the Q7 goes into it's lowest setting. I think the default by Audi is 85mph. Not a velocity I can access regularly in Wisconsin.